Quote:
Originally posted by Rochard
$77 is not worth me spending my time in court. However.......
If your going into court, dress for it. Leave your cell phone, drinks, food, and chewing gum behind. Dress nice - Don't wear jeans and a t-shirt. And be repectful to the judge.
About a year ago I got a huge ticket - Speeding over 100mph; It's a felony charge here in Arizona. People who got the same exact ticket I got walked out with thousands in fines. One women was screaming at the judge trying to come up with excuses. I walked up there, properly dressed, with nothing more than my paperwork, called the judge by the proper term. I plead guilty and that was that. Instead of the thousand dollar fine I could have recieved, I got the ticket reduced and a fine of $175.
Dress nicely.
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Attitude *is* everything in these matters. One of my daughters was pulled over for speeding (about 100, I believe she said - I'm not sure, I got dizzy when she told me) and to make it worse, it was in a "cone zone," albeit when the workmen weren't there. (Speeding in a "cone zone" in California carries the death penalty, I believe.) However, she was polite and respectful to the cop, immediately admitted it was her fault and apologized. The cop gave her a ticket BUT he fudged it a bit and put her down as going much slower than she actually was and left out the "cone zone" part entirely. Thusly, she got a much lower fine *or* attending traffic school as an option. She wouldn't have gotten any of the breaks if she'd copped a 'tude with said officer.
Sometimes, the best thing to do is just be polite and take your lumps. They end up being much smaller lumps than you'd get if you toss a fit in a courtroom. The judge is "your Honor," not "listen, you fucker!" It's amazing how many people don't know that. Sitting in a courtroom can be a most informative way to spend the day.